1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Internet Web Browsers and, more particularly, to the uniform resource locator (URL) displayed by an Internet Web Browser on a display of a computer after a prolonged duration of no user interaction with the computer.
2. Background Art
A computer operating system, such as Windows, typically includes a screen saver which becomes active after a programmed idle time of no key actuation on a keyboard and/or mouse of the computer. When activated, the screen saver displays on a display of the computer a blank screen or a programmed display of moving shapes and/or figures which avoid a static image from being xe2x80x9cburnedxe2x80x9d into the phosphor of the display. A typical Windows screen saver includes a dialog box which receives the idle time and from which a particular style screen saver, e.g., the blank screen or the programmed display, can be selected from a pull down menu. In operation, in the absence of a key actuation on the mouse and/or the keyboard of the computer for the idle time, the computer causes the screen saver to display the blank screen or the programmed display on the display of the computer.
There is a growing need to control the Internet Web Page displayed by an Internet Web Browser on the display of a computer to avoid the display of objectionable or undesired information thereon. This control is particularly needed for computer displays that are accessible to or viewable to the general public, such as displays visible in libraries, building reception areas and restaurants to name a few.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the Internet Web Page displayed by an Internet Web Browser on the display of a computer as a function of the actuation of a key of a mouse and/or keyboard of the computer. Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.
Accordingly, I have invented a method of controlling an Internet Web Browser active on a computer. The method includes monitoring a mouse or keyboard of the computer for actuation of a key thereof and determining a duration of no key actuation. The duration of no key actuation is compared to a predetermined duration and, in response to the duration of no key actuation equaling or exceeding the predetermined duration, causing an Internet Web Browser active on the computer to connect to a predetermined Internet Web Page.
Preferably, the computer receives the predetermined duration and a uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to the predetermined Internet Web Page in a dialog box viewable on a display of the computer. The predetermined duration and the URL are stored in the computer. In response to the duration of no key actuation equaling exceeding the predetermined duration, the stored URL is supplied to the Internet Web Browser which supplies the URL to the Internet.
Preferably, a flag and a timer are established in the computer for tracking the duration of no key actuation. Upon commencing the monitoring of the mouse or keyboard of the computer for actuation of a key, the timer is initialized and the flag is initialized to a de-asserted state. In response to actuation of a key, the flag is asserted and the timer is initialized. The flag is maintained in the de-asserted state in the absence of the actuation of a key. If the flag is asserted in response to actuation of a key, the flag is once again de-asserted after a delay interval. The timer is incremented when the flag is de-asserted. More generally, the determination of the duration of no key actuation is initialized after each key actuation.
The determination of no key actuation can be made in respect of a specific application program, such as the Internet Web Browser. Hence, if a user is using another application program, such as a word processor, and no key actuation is directed to the Internet Web Browser for the predetermined duration, the stored URL is retrieved and supplied to the Internet Web Browser which supplies the URL to the Internet.
I have also invented a method of controlling a computer that includes receiving in the computer a first idle time and a first URL corresponding to an Internet Web Page. In response to receiving the first idle time and the first URL, a flag and a timer are established in the computer. The flag is set to an asserted state and the timer is initialized when a key of the keyboard or a mouse of the computer is actuated. The flag is set to a de-asserted state in response to no actuation of a key of the keyboard or the mouse for a predetermined delay interval after the flag is set to the asserted state. The timer is incremented when the flag is in the de-asserted state and a value the timer is compared with the first idle time. When the value of the timer equals or exceeds the first idle time, the first URL is supplied to an Internet Web Browser.
A second idle time can be received in the computer and compared with the value of the timer. The first URL can be supplied to the Internet Web Browser when the value of the timer equals or exceeds the second idle time. Alternatively, a second URL can be received in the computer and the first idle time can be compared with value of the timer. When the value of the timer equals or exceeds the first idle time, the second URL can be supplied to the Internet Web Browser. Lastly, the computer can receive a second idle time and a second URL. The second idle time can be compared to the value of the timer and when the value of the timer equals or exceeds the second idle time, the second URL can be supplied to the Internet Web Browser. In the absence of an active Internet Web Browser, the attempted supply of a URL thereto is disregarded.
Lastly, I have invented a method of controlling an Internet Web Browser displayed on a display of a computer. The method includes initiating on a computer a user interface process which receives an idle time and a URL to an Internet Web Page, which stores the URL and the idle time in the computer and which initiates a system monitoring process. The system monitoring process causes a system hook process to be initiated which asserts a flag when a key of a mouse or a keyboard of the computer is actuated. The system monitoring process also initiates a timer and the flag, detects the state of the flag, de-asserts the flag when it is asserted, increments the timer when the flag is de-asserted and causes an active Internet Web Browser to supply to the URL to the Internet when the Internet value of the timer equals or exceeds the idle time.
The idle time and the URL can be received in a dialog box. In response to actuation of a button in the dialog box when the system monitoring process is active, a notice is displayed on the display of the computer indicating that the system monitoring process is active. In response to actuation of the button in the dialog box when the system monitoring process is not active, the system monitoring process is spawned and the computer configured to initiate the system monitoring process upon start-up of the computer. Preferably, the system monitoring process initializes the timer each time the flag is asserted.
Upon initially receiving the idle time and the URL, the user interface process spawns the system monitoring process and, upon receiving a replacement idle time and/or URL, the user interface process stores the replacement idle time and/or URL in the computer.
In response to actuation of another button in the dialog box, the system monitoring process is terminated and the computer is configured to not initiate the system monitoring process upon start-up of the computer.